Blue and The Birds Some 80 years ago (give or take) a relatively large room was added to the back of our small house. This room extends 12 feet back but falls short of spanning the width of the entire house by 8 feet. The resulting 8 by 12 feet space next to the addition was made into a deck, full enclosed by a 3 foot railing and only accessible from the room itself. It is like having a the worlds sturdiest ex-pen built right there on the side of the house. The house sits on a slope and so the back end of the house, and the deck attached to it, is elevated. This gives a pretty good view of the backyard sloping further downward behind us, the picnic area built into that side yard and the bit of driveway attached to the access road leading off to the main street(the only way for vehicles to enter the property). Not a bad spot for a pup, huh? Growing beside the deck are a few cedars. Due to the deck being elevated we sit a bit closer to its lower branches than one might normally and every spring squirrels come round and use the deck as a playground. Now Blue has moved in. I made a habit of taking my coffee and iPad out and letting Blue play with his IQ Treat Ball out there. Later I began putting him and his kibble dispensing toys out without me and now, if it isnt too hot, I let him sit out there on his own for a little while watching the world go by. One of these earlier times a racket started up. I jumped up and ran out and a squirrel was having a flipping fit that Blue was in his spot. I explained to the squirrel in no uncertain terms that this is Blues playground nod and sorry, so terribly sorry, but feck off. Thought no more about it until some weeks later another racket. Birds. Many little tiny birds. Blue looked up with some interest but did not chase or seem terribly fussed about them so I stood inside of the screen door and watched this weird scene. Ive watched it twice more since then. Today I sat out on the Deck reading about about domestication syndrome on the iPad while Blue gazed calmly out over the backyard. A little bird with a ridiculous pointy hairdo (a tufted titmouse) came over and made a racket. He hopped from branch to branch, ever closer, vocalizing until he was as close to Blue as he could get. (on the closest tip of the closest branch of the closest tree hanging over the deck) Another little titmouse flew in and repeated this. Then more. An entire flock of birds. Not all the same type. Mostly tufted titmouse and carolina chickadee with a couple of cardinals through in for punch. I spotted at least 5 different types of song birds all yakking away and crowding all around us, most on the closest possible branches. Just before it got totally eerie, the absurdity of the situation became too much and a little laugh escaped me. The birds all became a bit ruffled. Some moved back a bit and a general disconcerted vibe rippled through the area. Id clearly broken the flow of whatever was going on. But they carried on carrying on. I coud not help it and again and later once more at which point they decided they had better just move on and each moved along to the trees further down the yard. I have no clue why they come round and visit Blue. he doesnt get up and interact with them (not that Ive ever seen). Just looks around at them assuming this is a normal happening. They do not appear to be trying to chase him off or anything, but he was definitely the main attraction.
Posted on: Tue, 22 Jul 2014 19:44:49 +0000
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